End to Ebola declared in Senegal

The UN health agency has officially declared an end to the Ebola outbreak in Senegal.

The World Health Organisation says it commends the country for its diligence in putting a stop to the transmission of the virus.

In a statement, the WHO said the sole introduced case was confirmed on August 29 in a young man who had travelled to Dakar, by road, from Guinea, where he had had direct contact with an Ebola patient.

The statement called Senegal’s response “a good example of what to do when faced with an imported case of Ebola.”

It said Senegal’s government’s response included identifying and monitoring 74 close contacts of the patient, prompt testing of all suspected cases, stepped-up surveillance at many entry points and public awareness campaigns.